What could that crazy woman possibly want!? Just thinking about her made me feel worse. Everyone around me was panicking just as much — even the lizardmen, with Jo'Xa'Jaru at the front, though he seemed to be the only one holding himself together, not trembling.
"What's going on? Who is that!?" Valeria asked, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly. "Don't tell me that's Daralis!? That sadistic ruler of the underground you mentioned!?"
All three heads of my body nodded, though reluctantly. Massive waves of aura could be felt from afar. A shadow loomed in the west — a great black dragoness, slender, with two horns, was approaching. Entire goblin units stared at me in fear; they had no idea about my adventures underground. The lizardmen stood beside me in tight formation, though I could feel their aura twisting and trembling. Who would have the courage in a moment like this? Her level was beyond any of us.
"Artax! What did you do to that dragon that she wants to kill you!?" Argos demanded, baring his fangs and preparing for battle. A powerful gust of wind swept away many tents, and the smaller goblins barely managed to stay on their feet — only the presence of the queen and myself seemed to give them any hope of survival.
"You insolent lizard! How dare you!!!"
She passed the statue of the Sword God, and soon I saw her dragon form in full. Lightning sparks crawled across her scales, and her dark blue horns, eyes, and claws were aimed straight at me. Her massive, spiked tail looked like it could wipe out half of us in a single strike — several tons of raw power, and an aura so dense it squeezed the throat. No wonder she kept angels and paladins as slaves. Even that insanely strong old man Tessarion, level 172, wasn't much bigger than her in dragon form. I had no idea how I could survive this. I wouldn't escape her — and fighting wasn't even an option.
"You weak, pathetic - ngh! Insolent, cursed lizard!!! HOW DARE YOU!!!" her roar thundered, making some bleed from their ears. Insults mixed with beastly growls, and now everyone's attention was completely focused on me. I could feel every single gaze devouring me. I couldn't blame them — I had no idea what that monster wanted either. She was about to eat me or crush me.
Alright… here goes nothing. If she rules some underground kingdom, maybe she has at least a bit of self-control. Maybe. I stepped forward slowly, fighting not to tremble or run, forcing my other two heads with will and aura not to faint or bolt in fear.
"What brings you here, Your Majesty? Why such anger?" I asked as politely as I could.
Her dragon face twisted in fury, steam bursting from her mouth as she roared, "You idiot! Insolent brat! Trash!" I rolled my eyes, still confused and already accepting my fate, when she continued, "Fuck ugly Daralis. May the Sword God fuck her with a sword. You wrote that! How dare you call me ugly! Me!? I am the most beautiful of my dragon kind!!! You — blind fool!!!"
Ah… so that's what this was about. Who would've thought some stupid graffiti I scratched out in irritation and stress — when I thought I was about to die in that arena (which was fair, considering I was level 29 at the time!) — would come back like this? But how did she even find out? Who would bother reporting something like that? …Damn it. My luck is incredible.
"I would never write such a thing. Where did Your Majesty even get such information? That's absurd," I blurted out, completely stressed.
"You signed it, you idiot! And who told me doesn't matter. I know everything that happens in my realm! Such insults will not go unpunished. Death penalty!"
Panic erupted. Waves of goblins began fleeing in all directions, only the highest-ranking and strongest hobgoblins remaining. Valeria, quivering with fear for the first time since I met her, stood near Argos, who was clearly calculating how to survive and save his lady, while the lizardmen stood in formation with Jo'Xa'Jaru at the front.
"I'm ugly!? DIE!!!"
She opened her jaws, revealing massive fangs like blades. Aura gathered in her mouth, lightning crackled across her body, and then everything lit up — a massive beam of dark-blue fire crashed down upon us. This is it…
"Ancient swamp magic! MUD WALL!!!" the lizardmen roared. A huge mass of earth and mud rose before us and collided with the dragonfire with a deafening explosion. Mud and flame scattered in every direction like a volcanic eruption. I dodged as best I could and spat venom at her, but it didn't even reach her height. Argos howled, and a thick black mist began covering the ground, though against someone like her, hiding our aura was pointless.
"Follow me!" Argos shouted, and we obeyed. Darkness, burning mud, chaos — everyone was screaming as we ran west through the mist, but we didn't get far. A massive gust of wind tore the mist apart like a hurricane, and once again we saw that sadistic monster.
"You dare resist me!?" she asked, furious, as even more aura surged within her. She descended to the ground, and the pressure nearly made me vomit — her will was overwhelming, her aura suffocating. The last time I felt like this was when Zod tested me, though he wasn't trying to kill me.
"I am Valeria Iris Evelynn Laura Nocturne! Daughter of the great King Varyn Nocturne, rightful heir to the throne and wielder of the divine blade Nocturne! By attacking me, you attack the God of Darkness and the entire vampire lineage! Do you dare!?" she shouted boldly, chest raised, standing firm amidst smoke and hostile aura. "Do you dare!?"
She probably does dare. We need to run. The dragon opened her jaws again, this time not to shout, but to unleash another breath attack. We wouldn't survive this one — all those names Valeria never told me would turn to ash, and it would all be my fault. We looked at each other, and she nodded.
I saw her draw that sacred sword — the one that nearly killed her when she fought Hakku. The orange blade flared, and in the next instant, a lightning strike from Daralis hit exactly where Valeria stood. Dust exploded, and… I could still feel her dark aura. She was alive.
As the dust settled, I saw her kneeling, holding the blade like a shield. Covered in dirt and shaking from the impact, she still didn't fall. The sword glowed even brighter, shifting into a more golden-orange hue.
"Where did you get that, forest wretch!? You — you! Your uncle rules the Misty Isles, you're nothing and no one will mourn you if I kill you!" Daralis snarled, then instantly closed the distance and struck with her tail. Valeria barely dodged, the impact blasting massive chunks of earth into the sky, while I lost my footing and fell face-first into the dirt.
"How can she be that fast… vampires, huh…" I muttered under my breath, barely able to stand. I had one option left, and even that was pointless — call upon Zod? Use Berserker's Fury? Would it even work? Not against her.
She rose into the air again, preparing another breath attack — and then something impossible happened. The great statue nearby began to glow, its eyes, once dull and abandoned, shining with a blood-red light. A pressure hit me so hard I spat blood, as if struck by a hammer.
The stone began to crumble, and a sea of crimson aura flooded the land, covering the forest, hills — everything in sight. The dragon halted mid-attack, looking around, clearly unsettled.
"What's happening!? What is this!?" I shouted to Valeria, but she didn't answer — she was just as clueless and terrified.
The statue shattered with a thunderous crash, flames erupting skyward. Then I saw him — a crimson figure formed of pure aura, standing tall. His hair was thick and wild like a lion's mane, two horns crowned his head, and in his hands were two massive swords made of aura. The most powerfully built man I had ever seen, as large as the statue itself, and his aura was so overwhelming that Daralis looked like a rabbit next to a warhound.
"Insolence!" a deep, thunderous voice roared. "How dare you rob others of their victory!? How dare you interfere in the affairs of the open world when no one called upon you!? Return, daughter of my servant, to the depths where you belong!!!"
Even as I looked at him, I couldn't see his level — it was as if there was no physical body, only sealed power manifesting. The dragon, though shaken, did not retreat.
"You old man! He called me ugly! What will I be if I don't kill him!?" she shouted. "My honor is at stake!"
In a single instant, he swung his crimson blade. Thousands of trees were cut in half, the hills beyond exploded into the air, and the sound was like a nuclear blast — and that was just one swing.
"I've seen prettier ones," he said calmly. "Return where you came from and complain to your mother if you have an issue with my decision. Come back in a thousand years to fight him. What kind of fool kills children over jokes? Hmph."
A frustrated cry echoed, and the dragon's massive body began to shrink until a black-haired half-elf, half-dragon woman hovered in the sky, wings spread. She looked like she was about to cry.
"Hah… he roasted her," I muttered, but Valeria immediately clamped her hand over my mouth.
"Quiet… quiet… that's the Sword God!" she whispered, barely standing, trembling with fear and awe.
The crimson aura began to fade, and the pressure slowly lifted. The giant figure tossed his aura swords into the sky — they dissolved like water and vanished. For a moment, I saw his face, almost human, smiling like a man in his prime… and then he disappeared.
"I will return… and settle this…" Daralis' voice echoed faintly. "Someday… not today. We will meet again!" Then she fled west at full speed, like death itself was chasing her.
We lay there for what felt like fifteen minutes, shaken and confused. Was that a dream? How was that possible? Why would the Sword God descend just to save us? Too many questions.
Soon, scattered goblins and hobgoblins began returning. Though Doirak tried to scold them for cowardice, Valeria stopped him with a single word, "Enough."
She walked to where the statue once stood, now just rubble, even the gemstones gone. We followed her, each of us treating this like a second life granted. She stood atop the ruins, the wind lifting her hair as she looked over everyone gathered around.
"The Sword God himself descended from the heavens to aid us! When the cruel dragoness sought to kill a servant of Zod, he denied her that satisfaction," she began. "I believe Koshia, though a fool and a reckless man in life, played his part. He must have called upon the God of Demons to aid his worshipers. Koshia knew that the eastern goblins and all green races are destined for a great return. And that return can only be achieved through an alliance between the Sword God and the God of Darkness — an alliance under my rule, Valeria Nocturne, chosen by the ancient behemoths and the messenger of Zod himself!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Let this revelation give us strength for the battles to come. Rise, and build a kingdom of monsters that Zod himself will be proud of when he returns!"
She had a gift for speeches, and for seizing the moment. I almost died today, and yet… fate seemed to be watching over me. In my previous life — as a loser and a failure — I would have never come this far.
The lizardmen looked at me with respect, and I looked back. Valeria was convincing them that the Sword God himself was watching over the Kingdom of Valar we had built, and the goblins didn't question a word.
The unification of a large part of the green race from the southern regions of the Great Southern Forest was a massive success, and the first major step toward creating a country where I could live peacefully and comfortably… finally felt real.